A man and woman were arrested on child endangerment and other charges Monday after they were found driving a stolen vehicle containing an autistic child, drugs and a stolen firearm, authorities said.
Brittany Ware, 29, and Shane Keller, 28, were seen leaving a hotel room on Bonny Oaks Drive in a black Ford Fusion around 4:30 p.m., a Tennessee Highway trooper wrote in an arrest report.
A license check plate revealed the car had been stolen in Chattanooga last week, so the trooper stopped the car.
Upon closer inspection of the car, a firearm was seen in plain view on the floor in front of Keller, who was in the passenger seat. Authorities also found multiple needles - some used and others "loaded" with drugs - along with a set of digital scales with some of Ware's belongings.
In the backseat of the car was a 10-year-old autistic boy, who was turned over to his school teacher at the scene after the arrests.
A search of the hotel room the child had been seen leaving yielded more drugs and paraphernalia.
Keller is facing a firearms charge and counts of theft of property, manufacture/delivery/sale of methamphetamine, possession of marijuana for resale, possession of drug paraphernalia, aggravated child endangerment and tampering with evidence.
Keller was not released from jail, police said later. Ware had not yet made her $40,000 bond for use of stolen license plates, theft of property over $1,000, possession of drug paraphernalia and aggravated child abuse or neglect.